UMT | Portal Rasmi Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

Interest in STEM needs to be developed to produce generation capable of advancing the country

Interest in STEM needs to be developed to produce generation capable of advancing the country

Sunday, 25/09/2022

Share This Article :

Developed countries keep on developing with the advancement of technology in various sectors.

The use of technology in the globalization era can potentially optimize the manufacturing of a product with minimal use of human resources.

Achieving the status of a developed country requires various criteria to be met in terms of technology, infrastructure, and infostructure.

Malaysia needs more experts who can create technologies and innovation if it aims to achieve the status of a developed country.

However, the preparation towards that direction involves many requirements.

Malaysia has set its aim of being in top 20 countries in the world in the fields of economy, people’s wellbeing, creativity and innovation by 2050.

In light of this target, all Malaysians regardless of age and background need to change their mindset and make the first step towards the direction collectively.

Universities have detected a decreasing trend in candidates’ demands for programmes related to science and technology since the last few years.

This tendency will negatively affect the supply of skilled employees and thwart many of the development plans that will help the country achieve a developed status.

Contingency measures have been taken to overcome the issues.

Universities have been tasked with carrying out programmes to encourage students to take up the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The aim of STEM Education is to produce STEM-literate students who are able to identify, apply, and integrate the STEM concept to understand the problems and solve them creatively and innovatively.

This is done through STEM’s integrated learning that applies the real-word context and use the hands-on approach and open exploration. There have been many effort carried out in STEM education, with full support from various ministries.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) had already predicted the changes more than five years ago. The establishment of STEM Foundation Centre at the university reflects the commitment to develop a holistic generation that will lead the country in the future.

STEM Foundation Centre Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laili Che Rose said that the establishment of the centre has begun to show a positive impact in terms of instilling the love for science and technology among students.

“We have been successful in increasing youth participation in science because of our dedicated efforts.

 

 

“To promote the uniqueness of STEM, we have conducted science programmes that were easy for school students around Terengganu to understand.

She said that hands-on knowledge transfer programmes have also been organized at schools.

“We have also organized STEM Boot Camp 2022 that involved 2000 students, in collaboration with Terengganu branch of National STEM Association.

“These kinds of programmes are needed to produce students who are talented in STEM, to support the government’s aspiration of supplying skilled resources in STEM as it aims to develop the country to face the challenges of IR 4.0.

“The Terengganu Peers STEM Coaching Boot Camp 2022 programme involved two phases. In the first phase, university students became mentors to school students from elite schools.

“These students in turn became mentors in the second phase, where they imparted the knowledge to their peers from regular schools.

“Activities were held based on the STEM module, including Oceanography STEM, Health STEM, Exploration STEM, and Creativity and Innvoation STEM.

A series of programmes on Getting to Know STEM have helped to improve the level of awareness among students, parents, and teachers of the importance of science and technology.

Producing the next generation that can steer the country towards advancement requires commitment from every level of the society. The country’s leaders, local leaders, communities, and parents need to encourage the younger generation to develop an interest in STEM as early as primary school in an effort to produce more experts and create new technologies for the country.

 

Published by:

Corporate Communications Office
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu